Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s ex-boyfriend will defend himself against allegations that he misled the state’s corruption watchdog about his business dealings.
Daryl Maguire, a former Wagga Wagga MP, entered a not guilty plea to one count of providing false or misleading testimony before a public inquiry on Monday at Downing Centre Local Court.
His interactions with former Canterbury councillor Michael Hawatt over the sale of a house in Sydney’s southwest were at the center of the accusation.
For his part in facilitating a deal involving the property, Maguire denied to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that he had anticipated or sought any financial benefit.
However, he was overheard on phone taps demanding cash in exchange for securing a multimillion dollar investment from a Chinese developer.
Later, the ICAC recommended that Maguire be prosecuted for using his testimony.
His evidence was provided in July 2018 as part of Operation Dasha, which looked into whether previous council members had dishonestly used their positions of authority to influence planning plans and applications.
A number of former council members, including Hawatt, were found to have engaged in significant corruption, and the watchdog suggested consulting the director of public prosecutions on charges against six other individuals.
After the separate Operation Keppel ICAC investigation into Maguire’s illegal use of his position as an MP to benefit a firm in which he had a financial stake started, he resigned from the NSW legislature in 2018.
Later, when his “close personal relationship” with Berejiklian was revealed by that inquiry, the then-premier was forced to resign from her position.
In June, the ICAC determined that Maguire had engaged in substantial corruption over a period of years in connection with his business activities with the corporation.
